The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a shelf device which is provided inside the refrigerator and in which the height of a shelf can be adjusted to a free position.
Generally, regarding a refrigerator, there is a need of a shelf device in which a shelf can be up/down adjusted in accordance with sizes of foods and/or containers held in the refrigerator. Conventionally, for example, there is one as shown in Japanese Patent No. 2752300 as this type of shelf device inside a refrigerator.
FIG. 44 is a longitudinal section of a refrigerator having a conventional shelf device, FIG. 45 is a perspective view of the conventional shelf device, and FIG. 46 is a detail view of the conventional shelf device.
In the drawings, 1 is an inside of a refrigerator, 2 is a rack, 3 is a shelf support frame, 4 is a pinion gear, and 5 is a shelf main body having a shelf board 5a (chain line portion) and a shelf frame 5b. The shelf board 5a is slidable in the A direction in FIG. 45 relatively to the shelf frame 5b. Six (6) are gear shafts, 7 is a spring, and 8 is adjustment means.
At the refrigerator inside 1, there are provided the shelf support frame 3 having the rack 2, which constitutes a frame body of a longitudinal shape, the shelf main body 5 having, which aid of a support member, the pinion gear 4 meshing with the rack 2, the gear shaft 6 provided in the shelf main body 5 via a Z-shaped steel member to pivotally support the pinion gear 4, the spring 7 which is tightly wound around the outer peripheral face of the gear shaft 6 and whose one end is fixed on the pinion gear 4, and the adjustment means 8 set to compress the spring 7.
In a state where the pinion gear 4 of the shelf main body 5 is meshed with the rack 2 of the shelf support frame 3, the spring 7 is pulled in a direction to decrease its coil diameter by the self weight of the shelf main body 5 and firmly wound around the gear shaft 6, so that the pinion gear 4 is locked to fix the shelf main body 5 at a predetermined position. When the position of the shelf main body 5 is changed, the winding fixing force between the spring 7 and the gear shaft 6 is released by pressing the adjustment means 8 (chain line portion 8), whereby the shelf main body 5 can be freely adjusted in an up direction (B direction in FIG. 46) or a down direction (C direction in FIG. 46).
When the shelf main body 5 is adjusted only in the up direction (the B direction in FIG. 46), the shelf main body 5 is lifted up as it is in the up direction.
In the refrigerator having the conventional shelf device as described above, since the adjustment means 8 are provided in right and left two positions, they have to be operated by both hands at the same time to perform an up/down adjustment of the position of the shelf main body 5. Therefore, the operation to keep the body 5 becomes difficult and the operation with paying more attention is annoying, since either side of the adjustment means 8 is apt to move ahead.
Further, since the each adjustment means 8 supports the shelf main body 5 only at one position on each of left and right sides, a play in front-rear direction is apt to be generated due to unevenness of assembly, so that the shelf main body 5 is not stably fitted.
When the adjustment means 8 are operated to release the lock, there is a fear that the shelf main body 5 falls instantaneously at a stroke due to its self weight, so that there is a problem of insecurity.
Further, it is a difficult word to move the shelf main body 5 upward/downward while operating the adjustment means 8, considering the load amount of the shelf main body 5 on which food is placed.
When a conventional shelf device with a complex structure is provided, a part sometimes becomes rattled or floated, resulting in a poor operability.
There is a fear that a part is slipped off due to unevenness in sizes.
The resistance increases to the moving operation, thereby deteriorating the operability.
The design is not excellent.
The operability is poor.
Cool air is obstructed, so that cool air may not flow to the forward side if air volume is not enough, resulting in low cooling efficiency.
When the conventional shelf device with the complex structure is provided, a brake phenomenon is generated, and a smooth movement cannot be obtained.
A tooth skip of a belt (position mismatch between teeth of a gear and teeth of a belt) is apt to occur.
There is an occasion that the flow of cool wind is prevented depending on the way of putting a load, such as food on the shelf, so that uniform cooling is not necessarily achieved.
Since the knob shape of a lever is a simple square block shape, the touch in pinching the knob is uncomfortable, and it is difficult to concentrate one""s force at the knob.
The present invention was developed in order to solve the problems described above and is to provide a refrigerator having a shelf device in which a position of a shelf can be reasonably adjusted as it is, by a small force and a single hand even if food is placed on the shelf, regardless of differences in the load amount of the food.
The present invention is to obtain a refrigerator having a high reliability and an excellent design and is further to provide a refrigerator of energy saving type in which the flow of the cool air inside the refrigerator is improved so as to improve the cooling efficiency.
The present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which a brake phenomenon due to a load, such as food, placed on a shelf is an extremely small so that the operation of the lever is improved, a trouble can be prevented at a time to lift up a shelf when the lever is most loaded in operation, the strength of a tray is increased, the entire room of the refrigerator is uniformly cooled down, and the lever can be easily pinched.
The refrigerator according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided with a shelf device comprising a frame for placing a shelf or the like on it, arranged inside the refrigerator, a timing belt provided inside the frame, a lever provided on the timing belt, and a means for moving the frame in an up/down direction in operative connection with the timing belt rotationally moved by moving the lever. Thus, the shelf can be moved up/down while keeping stored stuff, such as food on it, even by a small operating physical force.
The refrigerator according to the second aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which a corner portion of the frame is extended to provide an extended portion, the means for moving the frame in the up/down direction is placed inside the extended portion, and a groove portion in which the extended portion is movably received is provided inside the refrigerator. Thus, a food storing space inside the refrigerator can be used effectively.
The refrigerator according to the third aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf device is employed for a member for closing a ceiling part of a compartment provided inside the refrigerator. Due to this, the volume of the compartment is made variable so that it can be adjusted to a space chosen by a user.
The refrigerator according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf device is employed for a bottom of a door pocket provided in a door of the refrigerator. Due to this, its height can be adjusted to a height chosen by a user, corresponding to stuff stored in the door pocket.
The refrigerator according to the fifth aspect of the present invention in the one according to the first aspect, further comprising an open/close door to close a front face of the refrigerator and a partition wall to partition the inside of the refrigerator plurally, wherein the partition wall is movable in the up/down direction. Thus, the refrigerator can flexibly deal with various stored stuff in accordance with the size thereof.
The refrigerator according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the frame is provided with a cool air intake for taking cool air in from a cool air supply duct provided between an inner case and an outer case of the refrigerator and a cool air outlet for sending out the cool air to the inside of the refrigerator. Thus, a uniform temperature distribution inside the refrigerator can be obtained by a simple work to provide holes in the frame.
The refrigerator according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect, in which the shelf device further comprises a holding means and a fixing means; the frame is provided with a screw shape shaft pivotally supported in an up/down direction; the moving means is provided with a meshing portion for meshing with the screw shape shaft, and a flange portion having a locking portion at one end thereof; the holding means is provided with an engaging portion for engaging with the locking portion at the time when the moving means is placed on the holding means from the above, and an insert piece extending from a placing face when the moving means is placed; and the fixing means is provided with a pinching portion to insert and fix the insert piece and an abutting portion arranged on an open side of the pinching portion to stop the locking portion of the moving means abutting against the abutting portion; and the fixing means is fixed to an inner wall of the refrigerator so that the moving means is fixedly held on the inner wall with aid of the holding means to make the frame movable in the up/down direction. Thus, at the time of a manual operation of the lever, the frame connected to the moving means hardly has horizontal play, thereby improving the operability. Further, the holding means is integrally engaged with the moving means and a margin to insert in the fixing means can be fully secured.
The refrigerator according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which the locking portion of the moving means extends in an axial direction of the screw shape shaft from the flange portion in an axial direction, and the engaging portion of the holding means is arranged approximately perpendicularly to the placing face. Thus, even if food is unevenly placed on the shelf, the moving means is not lifted away from the holding means at the time of a lever operation, thereby producing an advantageous effect that the operability is improved.
The refrigerator according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which the insert piece of the holding means is arranged approximately horizontally or in a diagonal direction to the placing face, and the pinching portion side of the fixing means is embedded in the inner wall of the refrigerator. Due to this, the space inside the refrigerator can be effectively utilized.
The refrigerator according to the tenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which a protrusion or a hole portion is provided in the flange portion of the moving means and a hole portion or a protrusion is provided in the holding means to engage with the protrusion or hole portion of the moving means. Due to this, there is no case in which when the lever is slid the moving means is shifted beyond the holding means in the sliding direction to bring the frame into contact with the inner side wall of the refrigerator, so that the operability of the lever and the convenience to move the shelf become excellent.
The refrigerator according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which a force of a sliding movement of the lever provided on the timing belt is transmitted via the timing belt to a gear which is fixedly and coaxially provided at one end of the screw shape shaft and engaged with the timing belt, so that the screw shape shaft is rotated. That makes the refrigerator compact.
The refrigerator according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the eleventh aspect in which the timing belt is arranged in an inside peripheral part of the frame, and the screw shape shafts engaged with the timing belt to rotate are provided in at least two corners of the frame. Due to this, the timing belt can rotationally move more stably.
The refrigerator according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which a screw pitch of the screw shape shaft is set at 9 mm or less, and a lead angle of the screw shape shaft is set for 15xc2x0 degree or less. Thus, considering a food weight loaded on a shelf of a size employed in a general household refrigerator, the operating physical force is appropriately reduced, in manual operation of the lever by a user.
The refrigerator according to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the seventh aspect in which a protrusion is provided on an outer wall of the meshing portion of the moving means, and a groove is provided in the frame correspondingly to the protrusion, on an inner wall of a housing portion for the screw shape shaft, so that the groove guides the protrusion as a track. Thus, rotation of the moving means can be prevented regardless of the shape of the frame, so that a refrigerator with an excellent design can be provided.
The refrigerator according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect further comprising a connecting duct which is provided in the frame so as to be disposed near an outlet of a cool air supply duct provided between an inner wall and an outer wall of the refrigerator, to conduct cool air formed from the outlet of the cool air supply duct to the front inside of the frame. Thus, cool air can flow to the front with a small air volume resulting in improved cooling efficiency and energy saving.
The refrigerator according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf device further comprises a timing belt coupling means consisting of a socket and a slider portion which is slidable to the socket and loaded with a spring toward the socket, and the lever and one end of the timing belt are connected to the socket and the other end of the timing belt is connected to the slider portion so that the frame is moved up and down conjointly with sliding of the lever via timing belt rotationally moved. Thus, slack of the belt is prevented, so that a refrigerator with a high reliability can be obtained.
The refrigerator according to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the sixteenth aspect in which the lever is provided with an insert piece formed by extending a root of the lever, and the insert piece is inserted into a slit portion provided in a front part lower face of the frame and is engaged with the socket of the timing belt coupling means for connecting the timing belt so that the lever and the timing belt are connected to each other. Thus, the timing belt does not show from the slit of the frame when the frame is seen from the front of the refrigerator, so that a refrigerator with an excellent design can be obtained.
The refrigerator according to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the sixteenth aspect in which a frame reinforcing plate is arranged along a track of the lever moving along the frame. Thus, even when a food weight is excessively loaded, flexure of the frame can be minimized, so that a rectilinear motion in the lever operation can be secured with an excellent operability.
The refrigerator according to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the sixteenth aspect, having the shelf device in which a front part of the frame is a metal frame, and the timing belt is arranged inside the metal frame. Due to this, deformation of the frame due to a food weight load is small, and the operability of the lever can be maintained excellently.
The refrigerator according to the twentieth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf device comprises a removable shelf placed on the frame, and the removable shelf is provided with a lower front part having a U-shaped rib opening forward so as to be engaged with a flange portion formed at a front side inner edge of the frame, and a L-shaped rear part so as to cover a rear part of the frame. Thus, the shelf and the frame can be integrally engaged as one body, whereby the strength of the entire shelf can be improved.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention is the one according to the eleventh aspect in which the gear fixedly provided in the screw shape shaft is provided with a plurality of rotatable balls which are embedded inside the gear and an upper supporting shaft, which is rotatably engaged with the gear with intervention of the rotatable balls, the frame is provided with a bearing portion having a hole, and the upper supporting shaft is set to the bearing of the frame with its upper end inserted in the hole, so that the gear can rotate. Due to this, the operation of the lever becomes smooth.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-second aspect of the present invention is the one according to the twenty-first aspect in which the upper face of the balls is protruded from the upper face of the gear, and the gear rotates while the lower face of the bearing hole of the frame gets in contact with the balls. Thus, even when the upper face portion of the gear is pressed by the load, such as food, placed on the shelf, a brake phenomenon against to the rotation of the gear is extremely small, whereby the operating physical force of the lever is improved.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-third aspect of the present invention is the one according to the sixteenth aspect in which the timing belt is attached to the timing belt coupling means in such a manner that in a case where the lever is slid in the right direction in its operation to lift up the shelf, one end of the timing belt is fixed to the socket of the timing belt coupling means on the left side while the other end of the timing belt is connected to the slider portion of the timing belt coupling means on the right side, and in a case where the lever is slid in the left direction in its operation to lift up the shelf, one end of the timing belt is fixed to the socket the timing belt coupling means on the right side while the other end of the timing belt is connected to the slider portion of the timing belt coupling means on the left side. Thus, since the slack of the timing belt can be absorbed by the resiliency of the spring in the lifting-up process where the lever is most loaded in operation, so that a tooth skip of the belt (position mismatch between teeth of the gear and teeth of the belt) can be prevented.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf provided on the frame for placing the shelf on it is made of a resin, and a metal member is placed on the upper face of the shelf. Due to this, the strength of the shelf can be increased.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which the shelf provided on the frame for placing the shelf on it is made of a metal. Due to this, the strength of the shelf can be increased.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention is the one according to the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth aspect in which part of cool air led to the inside of the frame for placing the shelf blows against a metal member or the metal shelf provided on the frame. Due to this, the entire shelf is uniformly cooled down so that the temperature distribution is improved. Further, the space between shelves is also cooled down uniformly, so that the distribution of the entire room is improved.
The refrigerator according to the twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention is the one according to the first aspect in which a knob shape of the lever is formed into a recess dented toward the inner side, corresponding to an abdominal portion of a finger. Due to this, the lever can be easily pinched so that force can be applied.